Trees

Magical memories for years to come

Start a Family Tradition

Take a walk in the beautiful Loess Hills and find a great Christmas tree for your family. Horse Creek Farm is located west of Sidney, Iowa in a valley of the Loess Hills. We at Horse Creek Adventures want you to enjoy your outdoor experience. If you have the time, you can enjoy the beauty of the Loess Hills and even hike to the top of the ridge to see some breathtaking scenery. Pet the donkeys from Malvern, Iowa’s Lusco Donkey Rescue Farm. We also have a special activity for the kids to give them a chance to run and play in the outdoors. It’s called the broomstick horse challenge

About the Fraser Fir

Fraser fir was named for John Fraser (1750-1811), a Scottish born botanist who explored the southern Appalachian Mountains in the late 18th century. Native to the southern Appalachians, North Carolina produces the majority of Fraser fir Christmas trees. It requires from 7 to 10 years in the field to produce a 6-7 feet tree.

Fraser fir is a uniformly pyramid-shaped tree which reaches a maximum height of about 80 feet and a diameter of 1-1.5 feet. Strong branches are turned slightly upward which gives the tree a compact appearance.

The combination of form, needle retention, dark blue-green color, pleasant scent and excellent shipping characteristics has led to Fraser fir being a most popular Christmas tree species.

We are selling fresh pre-cut trees

Each year we bring in a selection of Fraser Firs and Scotch pine from Wisconsin. We are all about fresh trees so we are very picky about what pre-cut trees we sell. We want our pre-cuts as fresh as we can get them. Our customers tell us they are very pleased with their trees from Wisconsin.

When you have found a tree, we shake the tree to get rid of excess needles and bag the tree to help you get it home. All of these services are free of charge, part of the experience we provide.

Once your tree is ready to go, warm up in the shop with free Apple Cider or Hot Chocolate while browsing our selection of fresh wreathes, craft items, Christmas decorations and garland. You can also enjoy the hot cider and chocolate around the bonfire.

Rest the tree on the ground and use a saw to remove an inch of the tree trunk at the base to expose fresh tissue to your preservative. Now, stand the trunk of the tree in the solution in an enclosed garage or in a protected spot outdoors so the wind won't topple the tree from the container. The tree must stay in the preservative five days before in can be moved indoors and decorated.

Here's how it works:

By making a fresh cut at the base of the tree trunk, you expose hundreds upon hundreds of ascending food channels (xylem tubes, to the scientific) to the preservative solution. The first ingredient absorbed by xylem tubes is the Borax (boron to the evergreen). Inside of 24 hours, Borax is moved to every living cell of the tree, regardless of its distance from the base of the trunk. Once in place, boron instructs the tree to move sugar to these living cells. Here, the only sugar source is the glucose provided by the corn syrup (Karo syrup) in the container. Immediately, glucose begins moving through the same xylem tubes. Because glucose is dissolved in water, the water quickly moves upwards through the xylem tubes to reach all living cells. In five days, your cut Christmas tree has more water than when it was actively growing at the tree farm. With water filling every needle and branch, the tree won't be a hazard in the house, regardless of how long it's decorated.